Hello Remedy
by Commander.Cutie.Patootie
Summary: Shingeki no Kyojin AU where Erwin is a seventeen year old college student studying abroad in Lyon, France. Mike and Hanji are his best friends who try everything to get him to come home and Levi...well, Levi is a vampire who's determined to keep Erwin to himself, at all costs. One fateful encounter could seal Erwin's future for life. Can Mike and Hanji save him?
1. Tragedy

"_**If our love is **__**tragedy**__**…**_

_**Why are you my **__**remedy**__**?"**_

Again, this same old dream plagued his mind; ever since he'd transferred to Lyon two months ago, this strangely realistic dream would take over his mind as he slept. It wasn't a bad dream - or nightmare as most called them – but it still made him question reality from his subconscious. It was too realistic at times; he'd wake up in the morning, wondering if the lips on his neck and the hands on his hips had made an impression. Every morning he would check the skin that had been touched, caressed, licked, bit for any sign that the dream had been real. Every morning he would be a little more disappointed that there were no traces of this faux reality.

However, he was too intelligent to know that this was just a dream. Something had crept into his being, taken over his unconscious mind and was trying to possess him. Something was trying to coax him away from civilization, steal him away from this world and take control of his existence. He never gave in though. He refused to lose to this being of unknown origin.

The only time he allowed himself to daydream about this creature of the night was when he'd get ready in the morning or after class and equestrian training. There wasn't much he could confirm about this being. He remembered the red, almost cat-like, eyes staring at him hungrily. The slightly sharper than normal fingernails that raked against his skin, just enough to send chills down his spine. The two elongated canines protruding from his mouth, pearly white and razor sharp. Pale skin spread across any stretch of body he could make out; colorless yet beautiful. It wasn't the kind of humanly possible pale, either, but the kind of pale that one would use to describe the moon.

Though, what – or even who – this being was did not deter this young man from his studies. He was in his second year of college at the age of seventeen and had more important matters to attend to than trying to figure out what had taken refuge in his subconscious. Yes, seventeen years old. Blond hair combed over to the left side, shaven underneath. Blue eyes as bright as the sky. Erwin Smith was a passionate student, currently studying abroad in Lyon, France to continue his study in business.

He remembered precisely when these strange dreams started happening; on his first day, he'd gotten a tad lost on his way to the dorms and ended up in front of a large, abandoned mansion. Or so he thought. No sooner had he turned to leave did a man clear his throat behind him, catching his attention. Erwin had turned around and was greeted by a rather shocking sight. Before him stood a man who looked no more than somewhere in his mid-twenties, though Erwin stood a few – perhaps six or seven – inches taller than him; Erwin had always been a rather tall child, and his was just hitting his growth spurt.

He'd gotten lost in the man's rather dark eyes. From where he stood, they looked as black as midnight, though the closer he got he noticed they were just a rather dark shade of grey. A smile played across the man's lips as he got closer and closer to Erwin, who seemed almost paralyzed. Once the initial shock lifted, Erwin finally pulled the piece of paper containing his dorms address from his pocket. He'd asked this strange man if he knew how to get there and the man simply pointed in the direction Erwin had been going.

Turning around, Erwin frowned a moment before accepting the man's words as truth. However, when he turned around to thank the man, he was gone. This appalled Erwin immensely; he hadn't turned around that long so the man couldn't have gotten that far. But nothing looked disturbed; almost like Erwin had been by himself the whole time. Sighing, he continued on to his dorm, the only sound besides his feet crunching leaves underneath each step was the gentle wind, quietly whispering, "Why are you my remedy?"

Three months have passed since that faithful encounter and ever since, Erwin has had these faux realistic dreams. He can't help but think that the one appearing in his dreams, coaxing him into animalistic rituals and lust driven fantasies is that strange man he'd met all those days ago. He'd wondered in the beginning that, perhaps if he hadn't locked eyes with that stranger, he may not have fallen so far into this trance.

He'd even experimented a few times; trying to stay up all night to see if that would break the spell which had been cast upon him. It didn't. No, that had the opposite effect. Though still in control of himself, his mind was much more vulnerable in that sleep deprived state. The touches got more vivid and realistic, the breath blowing into his ear and against the back of his neck making his body shudder and submit to the one taking over; he wasn't one to submit easily, mind you.

After that monumental failure, Erwin opted to continue to sleep regularly and allow this being to have its way with him while he slept. He was lucky enough to have a room to himself, so nobody knew of these strange encounters. He continued living his student life the way he had originally planned. That is, until today.

It was a warm Friday afternoon and Erwin had only just finished his Equestrian training; the coach wanted him to represent their college in the upcoming race. His talent far outshone the rest of the equestrians, so he had begun training of Fridays; training typically only lasted a few hours and he usually started in the morning, but he had opted to spend a few extra hours to continue his training. He was drenched in sweat and soapy water – he had decided to relax his horse with a nice bath before putting her away for the night.

Once he'd gotten her washed and dried, he put her away and headed back for the dorms. On his way back, a few of his classmates had stopped him.

"Erwin, won't you come to the haunted house with us? We're doing one of those, how do you American's say it? A bravery test? Well, something along those lines. Are you up for it? Surely you're not a scaredy-cat like the other's say?"

Erwin had gotten this treatment the entire time he'd been in Lyon. Many of the male populace at his college were jealous because the girls were fawning over the 'seventeen year old hunk with the brains of Einstein'; though he had told them many times that, while he may be smart, he was nowhere near Einstein's level of intelligence and the comparison was staining Einstein's good name. They'd all laugh and giggle in the way many girls do when they don't quite understand if you're insulting them or setting them straight, which only angered the males more. Erwin had never really been one to fancy women anyways; well, he'd never really fancied anyone, besides that man. It wasn't a way of fancying that made Erwin swoon or his heart flutter whenever he'd think of him; no, it was more of an interest. He was intrigued by this man and wanted to know more about him. He wanted to know if he'd been the one plaguing his dreams.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I've got to get up early in the morning to tend to the horses and then I've got to study for a few tests before I meet up with a few of my friends from America. Maybe next time?"

With that, Erwin walked past the group as they glared. He knew they, along with the rest of those who had planned this, would try to get back at him, but he wasn't one to get mixed up in their petty feelings or revenge. He really would have joined if his friends Mike and Hanji hadn't been nagging him for the past month to Skype chat with them. He hadn't expected them to begin missing him this quickly, in all honesty.

Nonetheless, Erwin made it back to his dorm, quickly grabbed a snack for later, and headed upstairs. He'd take a shower first; the soapy water made him feel sticky and the sweat from spending so many hours in the sun was making him feel awful. Turning the water on, he undressed and waited until the water was almost scalding before stepping inside and under the water. He took extra time in the shower, making sure to soap up and wash each and every inch of his body before moving on to his hair. It felt nice and relaxing. Once he was done washing himself, he turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, drying himself off as he walked over to his bed; he'd laid out some comfortable clothes to wear before stepping in. After all his clothes were on, he glanced around his room, deciding what he wanted to start with first.

Knowing Mike and Hanji were already out of school for the day and more than likely free for the night, he'd begin with Skyping them. Hooking up his computer – he'd killed it the night before researching the mystery guy from three months ago – he quickly typed in his password, connected to his mobile hotspot and then waited for Skype to automatically sign him in. While he waited for that, he shuffled around his room, grabbing a few papers for later so he could study. Hearing the little ping that indicated a new chat had started, he quickly made his way over to his computer and smiled; Hanji and Mike had been waiting for him to sign on. Clicking on the group chat, he was bombarded with messages.

_**Scientist To Be**__: Heeey Erwin, wakey wakey~! We know you're training should be over by now.  
__**Greyhound**__: Don't rush him, Hanji, he'll get here soon. You know Erwin. He likes to clean up before doing anything.  
__**Scientist To Be**__: But Miiiiiiiiiiiiiike! He's taking extra-long today!  
__**Greyhound**__: Hanji, you're going to make Erwin not want to Skype with us.  
__**Eyebrow King**__: You guys…up to the same old antics, I see.  
__**Scientist To Be**__: ERWIN! Glad to see you finally joining our party!  
__**Greyhound**__: Wait, Erwin, was your screen name always eyebrow king?  
__**Eyebrow King**__: No. I have a feeling that someone hacked my Skype and changed it.  
__**Greyhound**__: Hanji…  
__**Scientist To**__**Be**__: HEY! Just because that's something I probably would do doesn't mean I did it!  
__**Eyebrow King**__: At ease you two. Mike, I wasn't talking about Hanji. It was probably Nile. It is something he would do, you know. I'll change it later, but I'm not too worried about it right now._

Hearing a few noises coming from the hallway, Erwin abandoned his computer momentarily to go check out the commotion. Biting his lip, Erwin asked someone what was going on but all they could tell him was that they didn't know; they did agree to come let him know once they found out. Returning to his computer, Erwin sighed. Two missed calls and five unread IM's.

_***** Missed call from Scientist To Be. ***  
*** Missed call from Scientist To Be. *****_  
_**Scientist To Be: **__Oiiiiii Erwin! Don't start ignoring us now!  
__**Scientist To Be: **__Please? Come on, we've missed you for three months now!__**  
Scientist To Be: **__Erwiiiiiiiiiiiin?!  
__**Greyhound: **__Hanji, just calm down I'm sure Erwin's coming back.__**  
Greyhound: **__Something must've grabbed his attention for a sec.__**  
Eyebrow King: **__Wow.__Never knew I was this popular.  
__**Scientist To Be**__: Oh hush Erwin! You should know that we'd miss you after you suddenly decided to go off and study abroad in France!  
__**Greyhound**__: You know she's right Erwin. We really do miss you.  
__**Scientist To Be**__: Oh Mike, you only want to get into Erwin's pants.  
__**Greyhound**__: HANJI SHUT UP!  
__**Eyebrow King**__: Now now you two, go sort out your sexual frustration with each other while I'm /not/ around, okay?  
__**Scientist To Be**__: ERWIN!  
__**Greyhound**__: ERWIN!  
__**Eyebrow King**__: It's not my fault you two presented me with such a magnificent opportunity.  
__**Greyhound**__: We'll get you back for this you know.  
__**Eyebrow King**__: Ooooooh, I'm so scared I'm shaking in my boots._

Erwin was laughing quietly; Hanji and Mike have been his friends since they were all too young to speak properly and he loved them both dearly. They'd gone to the same preschool, elementary, middle and high school and had ended up deciding on the same college, as well. They were irrespirable. Getting ready to suggest they begin their call, he was suddenly interrupted by a knock on his door.

_**Eyebrow King**__: Guys, I'll be right back. Something's been happening for a while and I want to check it out._

Signing out of Skype for the time being, Erwin walked over to the door and opened it. He was concerned about the look on his dorm leader's face.

"Erwin, you haven't seen Francis, John or Alejandro, have you?"

Erwin had to think a moment; he knew who they were, sure, but the last time he'd seen them was that afternoon…

"Oh! Yes sir, they asked me if I wanted to join them in their 'bravery test' tonight at the mansion down the road from our dorms. They probably went there."

Frowning, the dorm leader – Joseph – thought over the information Erwin had given him before looking back at Erwin.

"Would you mind helping us search for them? We need all the help we can get."

Nodding, Erwin went back into his room and got dressed in more appropriate clothes. Slipping socks and then his boots on, he grabbed his room key and headed out the door. Following Joseph, they all exited the dorm and began their search. Erwin knew exactly where to go, so the minute he was outside, he took off running in the direction of the old abandoned looking mansion. Once he got there, he swallowed the lump that had been forming in his throat; he'd thought about coming back here in the hopes that he'd get to meet the mysterious man, but he'd been nervous. He wasn't sure how he'd feel if the man had turned out to be the one in his dreams.

Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, for now, he made his way through the rickety old gate and down the walkway. Walking up the stairs, he debated knocking on the door. A few moments later and he was pushing the door open, hoping he'd find the three guys and be able to get out of there in no time. He almost gagged when he was inside though; it smelled like decay and death and there was blood everywhere; not that he could see it with how dark it was inside the mansion.

"Hey? Alejandro? Francis? John? Guys, everyone's looking for you. They're worried. Stop this stupid game and come back to the dorms."

Erwin had regretted calling out the moment he'd finished. The room got a lot colder, almost to the point where he was shivering. He strained to hear or see something, too nervous to go much farther into the mansion. That didn't help him though; moments later, he felt those all too familiar hands on his hips, his breath hitching slightly at the touch.

"Erwin, Erwin, Erwin…you smell so good, so clean, just the way I like…I was wondering when you'd come back to see me…you've kept me waiting so long. I've wanted to taste you for so long. Tasting you in your dreams isn't enough anymore. You should've come sooner."

Erwin knew this voice. He knew this touch. He couldn't speak, though; no, he was in too much shock that the being in his dream and the mystery man who'd helped him three months ago were the same person. Moments later, he felt a light tap on the backs of his knees, causing them to buckle underneath him. Now kneeling on the floor, he looked behind him, which only met him with darkness. Turning around slowly, he was finally met with those same pair of dark grey eyes.

"Oh Erwin, don't be scared. I won't treat you like I treated those other fools who came here. I'll treat you special. I just need one thing from you…"

Grinning wide, he showed his fangs to Erwin before licking his lips. Leaning into Erwin's neck, he licked it lovingly before mumbling into the skin. Erwin strained to hear him, but couldn't. Nipping lightly at Erwin's neck, he got ready to pierce his skin before Erwin interrupted him.

"Wait, first tell me who you are."

It was Erwin's last ditch effort to buy himself some time to get out of this mess he'd just walked in to. He was also honestly curious about this man. Could he even call him a man? He obviously wasn't human. This man, who had a tight grip on Erwin's shoulder preventing him from moving, chuckled a little bit before moving away from his neck and looking him straight in the eyes; his eyes had begun to look more cat-like and were getting darker.

"Erwin…stalling for time is going to do you no good. Though, I guess if you're to stay with me for eternity, you might as well get to know me better."

Leaning forward, the man pressed his entire body against Erwin's, causing him to shudder slightly. Breathing into Erwin's ear a moment, he nibbled it gently before speaking again.

"My name is Levi. I've been pleasuring you in your dreams these past few months in hopes that you'd want to get a taste of the real thing. You're quite the stubborn man, though. But now that I have you in my grasp, you can never leave…I'll make you crave my touch so bad that you won't ever think of leaving."

Erwin wanted to ask more. He was still curious and now he had more questions than answers. However, he didn't get to ask any of the questions forming in his mind. The minute Levi had stopped talking, he'd moved right back down to Erwin's neck and, without hesitation, sunk his fangs into the tender skin there. Erwin was startled by the pain and inhaled sharply as Levi began drinking from him. Not a drop of the crimson liquid spilled; Erwin's blood was too precious for Levi to miss any of it. Once Levi had fed to his full, he moved away from Erwin's neck and smiled, his eyes now a deep crimson color. Lifting a hand from Erwin's shoulder, he lightly caressed his cheek as Erwin began passing out. The last thing Erwin heard was the sound of that silk smooth voice asking, "Why are you my remedy?"


	2. Insanity

"_**If our love is **__**insanity**__**…**_

_**Why are you my **__**clarity**__**?"**_

Who would ever think it possible for a mere hour to seem longer than three months of waiting? Not many would; however, for Levi, this was torture. He finally had his beloved Erwin in his grasp and all Levi could do was wait. He'd been doing a lot of that lately and he hated it. Of course, it had taken him a few centuries to finally find his other half; the one to complete his everlasting existence, to fill him with a warmth he'd never known. Three months ago, on that fateful day, Levi's monotonous life had finally shown signs of moving forward once more. It had shocked him so much that he'd almost missed the opportunity to finally meet the human who would grant his wish.

He'd happened a glance out of his bedroom window when the slightly disheveled golden locks and lost baby blue eyes grabbed his attention. He'd thought nothing of it at first; another tourist lost on their way to town, too arrogant or afraid to stop someone and ask for help. Many of the now ruling race would use the saying, 'Probably an American', though Levi knew full well that if any of them had been cast into new territory without a clue of the language, they'd be just as afraid. That didn't make watching the poor boy flounder about any less humorous, though.

It was the moment their eyes met, grey to blue and only for an instant, that Levi knew that this boy was who he'd been searching for these past few centuries. He knew the boy hadn't seen him; he was cloaked in the shadows and protected by the barrier that fooled these poor, pitiful creatures into thinking his home was, in fact, an abandoned mansion. There was less chance to be bothered this way. For the first time in centuries, Levi stepped outside of his comforting castle for a purpose beyond needing to feed. And as he stood behind the boy, he couldn't help but indulge in his thoughts, absorbing any information he needed from this wish granter. _**Erwin Smith**_. The way it rolled around in his mind drove Levi to clear his throat; he wanted nothing more than to interact with his soon to be bride, try to coax him into abandoning this world and joining his.

His efforts failed, however; Erwin Smith was an intelligent man who wouldn't be fooled so easily. It took Levi three months of indulging Erwin in ecstasy laced dreams and a kidnapping turned murder before he finally had his hands on this perfect being. Who, by the way, was laid out nicely on Levi's Victorian bed, sleeping peacefully; it made him sigh contently but also furrow his brows. Erwin Smith, the object of his affection, granter of Levi's wishes and slave to his whims, was asleep and Levi wasn't sure just how much more he could take.

He wanted to rip the clothing from his body, indulge in the flesh that he craved so badly and drink the crimson liquid until he was drunk. He wasn't talking about wine, either. His body ached; yes he was a vampire and feeding was a top priority, but Levi had his sexual needs too. Desires and wants that needed to be attended to quickly, but with passion and lust. Unfortunately, he'd drank a little too much of Erwin's blood, causing him to pass out. He was now stuck waiting – why must he wait so much? – for Erwin to wake up so he could finally use his body to satisfy Levi's cravings. Another thirty minutes of waiting and Levi could wait no more; standing from his spot on the bed, he briskly walked towards the door, looking back only one more time to drink in Erwin's image.

He'd have to build up the anticipation again for their first night together; he wanted to make Erwin scream and moan his name as Levi fucked him more times than his body could handle. He wanted Erwin in so much pain, he'd not move again for a few days. He wanted it to be perfect for the both of them; and, if feeling sadistic enough, he wanted Erwin to pass out before Levi finished with him.

Shuddering at his own fantasy, Levi made great haste out of his bedroom door and to his master bath; not the best of places to jerk himself off, but it would be much cleaner to do here as he could wash up completely once he was done.

Hanji waited anxiously for her screen to notify her that Erwin had returned. He shouldn't have been gone for two hours, should he? He'd said he'd come right back. Any time Erwin would disappear, she worried. She wasn't in love with him; no, she was too in love with her research to even pay attention to what romantic love was supposed to be. He was like an older brother to her, one she cared for and would continue to do so until she died. Once the two hour mark had hit, her nerves had set in. She'd attempted to call Erwin multiple times but was only greeted with an automatic, 'Thanks for calling Erwin Smith. If you're hearing this, then I'm unable to answer the phone right now. Please feel free to leave a message and callback number; I'll get back to you as soon as I'm able.' Erwin had always been rather formal so the formalities in his voicemail were nothing new.

Hanji had even begun ignoring Mike. He'd tried multiple times to calm her down before she quit responding to him altogether. He'd attempted to call her, but that had proved to be wasted effort. Another hour passed and Hanji was on the verge of tears; she didn't know what to do now that Erwin was so far away. Nobody had heard from him. Hearing her phone ring, she quickly checked it before frowning; another call from Mike. Sighing, she hit the send button and placed the phone to her ear.

"_Hanji?"  
"What do you want, Mike?"_

"_I'm calling to make sure you're okay. You just up and quit talking to me an hour and a half ago, you know…"_

Hanji was quiet a moment. She'd been thinking of ways to help Erwin and one finally hit her. Standing from her seat, she lugged the suitcase, buried in her closet, out and onto her bed. She'd almost missed what Mike said next.

"_Hanji, are you okay? I'm hearing strange noises on your end."  
"Mike, I'm just fine. In fact, I've had a brilliant idea."  
"Which would be…?"  
"I'm going to Lyon to go find Erwin!"_

The way her voice sounded had Mike convinced that he needed to tread lightly; he didn't want to be the cause of her emotional breakdown. A few more shuffling sounds and he spoke again.

"_Hanji, you can't just go see Erwin on a whim like that. You'll burden him."  
"Mike, listen. Something's wrong. Erwin only turns his phone off during class and there is no way in hell he's in class right now. And he always keeps it on him. So something happened. I'm going to find out. You can either sit on the sidelines while your boyfriend-to-be gets snagged by some creep, or you can get your ass ready to leave in fifteen minutes."_

Mike would've protested, saying something along the lines of, 'I don't like him like that', but he knew he'd be lying to the universe. Sighing, he got up from his spot in front of his computer and began packing as well.

"_Fine, I'll come with you, but you've got to come pick me up. I refuse to leave my truck at the airport while we're gone."  
"Can do! I'll see you in fifteen!"_

True to her word, Hanji was in Mike's driveway right on the dot. After saying his goodbyes to his housemates, Mike walked to the back of Hanji's old Honda Civic, tapping the trunk to indicate she should open it. Once it was popped and he shoved his suitcase inside, he slammed the trunk shut and made his way into the passenger seat. He felt cramped in Hanji's car as she tore out of his driveway and down the road; he was even taller than Erwin which meant less leg room.

By the time Hanji had made it to the airport and parked, Mike wished he'd have just driven his truck; his left leg was cramping and his right was numb. Stumbling out of the car, he went to the back and waited for Hanji to pop the trunk before grabbing both their suitcases and shutting the trunk once more. Hanji tried to protest, saying she'd carry her own suitcase, but Mike picked up his pace; while he was still walking, Hanji was forced to fast walk just to keep up. After going through the necessary procedures, they waited for their flight to board. Hanji had already changed their December plane tickets to a flight that would leave in less than three hours before Mike had even called her to make sure she was okay; it was also why she was so hell bent on leaving so soon. They had scheduled to visit Erwin in December so they could spend Christmas with him. Mike was a little surprised that the airline would let them change the dates of their tickets so suddenly, – it probably had something to do with Hanji's dad owning the place and the flight having a few open seats – but even more surprised that Hanji had done this before he'd even agreed to it.

Once they were on board and settled into their seats – they didn't bother bringing carryon luggage – Mike relaxed and closed his eyes. It was already night time and the flight was almost ten hours long; he was going to get some sleep, whether Hanji liked it or not. Hanji, on the other hand, was a mess of jitters and nerves. She was happy to be able to see Erwin again; they'd never been separated for longer than a week. But she was also scared of what they might find. Not letting it bother her too much, she did as Mike had and relaxed. She needed to at least try to get some sleep.

Levi was no good at this waiting game. Six hours had passed since Erwin passed out and there were still no signs of him waking up any time soon. If their unification didn't require Erwin to be conscious and willing, Levi would have taken him while he slept. He sat, irritation lacing his features, by the door with arms crossed. Anytime Erwin would stir in his sleep, Levi would get his hopes up for nothing. Levi only needed Erwin to be awake; he'd have no problem coaxing him into agreeing to unify with him. His persuasive powers were beyond exceptional; nobody could deny him.

He'd attempted to wake Erwin up many times. A little shake here, poke there. He'd even slipped into his dreams, trying to coax him out of his sleep. But no, Erwin was stubborn. While that irritated Levi, it also turned him on. Nobody had dared defy him before, but Erwin was having none of his antics. It made Levi want to torture Erwin; he was a sadist at heart, after all.

What he didn't want, though, was to anger his bride. He wanted Erwin happy and relaxed so that when it came to their unification, Levi would be able to enjoy every ounce of agony, pain, suffering and lust Erwin would show him. He'd make Erwin beg for it.

Levi knew what the word bride meant to these lesser creatures. A woman to be wed, or who had just been wed. Though, the meaning for his kind was much different. A bride had no gender; male or female, it didn't even have to be of humanoid origin or resemblance. Species didn't matter, either. A bride, to Levi, was a granter of wishes. In exchange for his bride's eternal happiness, Levi was promised to have all his wishes granted. Whether Erwin had any magic affinity or not did not matter; once they went through the unification process, Erwin would slowly begin awakening as a divine being, capable of creating life or extinguishing the world as a whole. Though, his powers would not be limited to just this. Erwin would be capable of so much more; he would be capable of granting Levi's wishes.

However, it was a long process, sometimes taking days, years or even a century to fully develop. It was something every 'fairy tale' creature strived to achieve; finding their bride and being accepted by them. It had happened a few times before. One memorable account was the Bubonic Plague; a werewolf had found his bride and wished for humans to die after they'd caused the near extinction of his race. Oh, what fun times to be alive to witness such atrocity.

Levi didn't have anything like that planned. He didn't wish for the annihilation of any race in particular, or even death to anyone. No, he wanted to go home, back to his people. He wanted his banishment revoked and his rights to the throne handed to him on a silver platter. He'd cursed his idiotic brother for centuries for overthrowing their father and then banishing him from the kingdom. He'd searched many worlds, trying to find the one who would help him take back his rightful place and he'd finally found him. Erwin Smith. Levi was glad, too. Erwin was intelligent, courageous and he was extremely good looking. With him by Levi's side, nobody would oppose him.

Getting Erwin to agree to this, however, was going to be another story altogether. Seduction didn't work and Levi highly doubted Erwin would willingly leave his world forever. It didn't help that he seemed to be rather attached to two individuals, in particular. Hanji Zoë and Mike Zakarius. Levi had seen them inside Erwin's mind constantly; he always wondered how they were fairing or if they missed him. If necessary, he would dispose of them. Erwin had no other attachments to this world; none strong enough to keep him here, at least.

Sighing, Levi decided to retire for the night. Standing from his seat by the door, he made his way over to the bed and crawled in next to Erwin. He allowed himself to get closer than he normally would; Erwin's skin was warm against his own icy skin and made Levi relax instantly. Wrapping his arms around Erwin's torso, Levi rested his head against Erwin's back and closed his eyes. He would wake up before Erwin; he'd make sure of it. He wasn't about to let his bride escape him.

Hanji and Mike had been shaken awake ten minutes prior by the flight attendant; their plane was getting ready to land. Ten hours of sleep had never felt so good to either of them, if they'd even got that much. They weren't looking forward to the possible jetlag, which was almost guaranteed. Fifteen minutes later – Hanji had counted and made sure Mike knew about it – and the plane finally came to a stop at their terminal. Standing up, they allowed most of the people behind them to leave before stepping out into the aisle and walking through and out of the plane. Maneuvering through the airport, they quickly got their bags from luggage claim and headed outside.

"Okay Mike. We're going to need that nose of yours to work extra hard if we're going to find Erwin."  
"Hanji…you know that Erwin is the only one without a scent. I can't very well track him if I can't smell him."  
"Sure you can! You just have to use your nose until you find the only person _without_ a scent! It can't be that hard, right? Besides, we can always ask around, just in case someone's seen him. We can even stop by his dorm room and let you sniff around."

Not really waiting for an answer, Hanji finally managed to hail a cab and let the driver put her suitcase in the trunk. Mike put his own inside before going and getting inside the cab alongside Hanji.

"Where to, you two?"

Hanji froze; she hadn't bothered remembering what college – or even what dorm for that matter – Erwin was attending. Fishing for her phone, she skimmed the texts quickly, hoping for an answer. Though, she didn't need to do much searching; Mike knew where Erwin had gone. Mike knew Erwin like his favorite novel.

"Université de Lyon, s'il vous plaît."

Patting her shoulder, Mike leaned back in the seat and waited for the drive to be finished while Hanji quietly admitted defeat and took to staring out the window. They may have looked calm, but neither of them really were; they could only hope that they'd get to meet up with Erwin soon.

Meanwhile, in that old, abandoned looking mansion, eyelids lifted, revealing pitch black eyes. Levi untangled himself from Erwin and sat up. Once he was fully awake, he made his way out of bed and began dressing for the day; Erwin would be waking up soon.


	3. Clarity

"_**You are the piece of me…**_

_**I wish I didn't need."**_

The throbbing in his neck and the repulsive stench filling his nose made it clear to Erwin that what had happened the previous night was not, in fact, part of his faux reality slumber. That didn't bother him as much as the fact that he was no longer wearing his own clothes. The clothes he wore now seemed tailored to his measurements; not too constricting, but not loose. A white button up dress shirt, navy blue vest, black slacks and black socks now adorned his body. Luckily his bolo tie was still around his neck. It was a precious family heirloom and one of his personal favorites. However, _why_ he was in these new clothes really bothered him; enough so, that he got up out of bed. That had been a mistake. His legs felt like jelly so he ended up tumbling to the ground with a loud thud.

Waiting a few seconds, to see if his perpetrator – he had said his name was Levi, right? – would come through the doors to the bedroom, he sighed. No signs of activity meant Erwin was safe. For now. How long he was safe was a mystery. But he wasn't going to wait around for things to happen; no, he needed to escape. Lifting himself from the floor, he walked over to the large oak doors and tried opening them. He was met with resistance and a couple of creaking noises. Locked. He really should have seen that coming. There was no way he was going to be able to escape that easily, especially not after all the trouble Levi went through to capture him.

And what for?

Why was Levi so eager to kidnap him? Surely he realized that, human being or not, he isn't above the law? Shaking his head, he sighed once more. Trying to be rational right now would probably do him no good. He began pacing the room, trying to think of ways he could get himself out of this mess. Though, while he was so busy doing that, he failed to take notice of the door creaking open.

It hadn't taken long for Mike and Hanji to arrive at Erwin's dorm. All seemed quiet, aside from the few people loitering around, casually calling out names. Paying the cab driver and exiting the vehicle, they grabbed their things and headed towards the door. Luckily nobody stopped them, so they headed inside and up the stairs. Room 1014; Erwin would call it home for a year before returning to the States. It was only on the second floor, which struck both of them as strange, seeing how there were only rooms ranging in the hundreds on this floor. Clever Erwin, though. He'd taken advantage of having room 101 to himself and added the four. October fourteenth. His birthday. Typical, clever Erwin.

Mike and Hanji ended up chuckling at the joke before knocking. "Hey, Erwin? It's us! You know, Hanji and Mike, your two best friends? The ones who left in the middle of the night to come see your ass because, you know, you never got back online?"

Mike could hear the slight irritation in Hanji's voice as she tried keeping the sarcasm from emerging. All the luck that did. Hanji ended up banging on the door, her voice progressively getting louder and louder until someone down the hall came out of their room. "Why are you banging on the door so loudly? You're bothering everyone. Who are you, anyways?"

Mike glared at Hanji, giving her a look that said, 'I told you this would happy,' before raising his hands in defense. He was about to apologize when the man realized who's door they were standing in front of.

"Oh, you're looking for Smith? Nobody's seen him since last night. He was helping search for the three stooges who went off on some bravery test bullshit but he hasn't come back. None of them have, now that I think about it. They were looking for a while last night but then they gave up. None of the guys here like Smith much, so they don't care to find him."

'Poor guy,' was all Mike could think as Hanji made her way over to him, grabbing a fistful of his shirt before slamming him against the wall. Most people wouldn't be able to tell, but she was far past the normal levels of pissed off. Walking over to them, Mike settled a heavy hand on her shoulder before looking down at the poor guy who had ignited Hanji's wrath.

"Sorry, she's had little sleep and she's irritable right now. Could you point us in the direction of someone who would know more about the situation?" Nodding, the guy pointed towards the stairs. Mike could see his hand trembling slightly.

"Y-yeah, just, uh, go back downstairs to the first floor and there'll be a room to your immediate left. It should say dorm advisor or something, but that's Joseph's room. Speak to him; he was the last to talk to Smith."

Nodding, Mike led Hanji away from the guy and back towards the stairs. As extra insurance, he stopped in front of Erwin's room and turned the doorknob; the door was open. Erwin never left his door unlocked, even if he was just going to the bathroom. Something was definitely off. Heading down the stairs once more, Mike and Hanji stopped outside the dorm advisors room and glanced at each other. Hanji lifted a hand and began knocking furiously. They heard a few curse words from inside before the door opened and Hanji ended up hitting the guy in the face; Mike was sure she'd done that on purpose. Without faltering, she gave a shocked expression and quickly helped him up, letting a string of apologizes flow flawlessly from her lips. Yeah, she definitely did that on purpose. Waiting until they stopped apologizing, Mike cleared his throat. "Hi, we came to visit Erwin Smith, but someone told us he hasn't been back since last night?" Mike could see the color drain from the man's face as he averted his gaze. They waited for what felt like a few minutes before he motioned them inside.

How had it happened?

One minute Erwin was pacing that dreadful room, stagnant air filling his lungs and making his head ache. He was so lost in thought that he'd almost tripped over his own feet a few times. Not to mention he completely missed the sound of the door opening, the rustling of cloth, the very faint but obvious footsteps. He'd missed them all. The very light brush of a hand against his shoulder blades was the only indication he had that there was someone in the room with him.

Whipping his head around, he was met with Levi's blank expression and those damned red eyes of his. Erwin couldn't help the shiver that creeped down his spine. Swallowing thickly, Erwin waited to speak until he was calmed down. His racing heart began slowing to a more natural pace and the faintest of frowns could be seen briefly on Levi's lips. "I rather like your irregular, fast-paced heartbeat. It makes your blood flow quicken and that's music to my ears." Shooting him a curious glance, Erwin sighed and ran a shaky hand through his blond hair. "Yes well, I don't know how much of a good thing that is for me."

The room was quiet for a few minutes as they simply stared at each other. Levi then waved a dismissive hand and gestured for Erwin to follow him. "Come, we're having tea.

_Tea?_

"Yes, Erwin. Tea. I do prefer that you hurry or it will cool to a more lukewarm temperature and I'll refuse to drink it. I'm sure you'd rather I drink the tea than your blood." Furrowing his brow, Erwin sighed and fell into pace beside Levi. Tea it is, then.

Levi had led Erwin down the grand staircase and into his dining room. It was connected to the kitchen and, as much as it pained Erwin to admit, it was rather homely. He wouldn't have to admit it out loud, though, since Levi seemed keen on reading his thoughts. The faintest of chuckles could be heard from Levi, indicating that he had, in fact, just read Erwin's mind. He'd have to watch what he was thinking, then.

After being motioned to sit at the small table, Erwin waited for Levi to bring the tea before he spoke up. "So, I dare ask, why are you keeping me here?" Once the cup was placed in front of him, Erwin lifted it and blew gently; he didn't want to burn his tongue. When he deemed it cool enough, Erwin took a sip. The taste was strong and sweet; almost too sweet. "I wasn't sure how you liked it, so I went ahead and made it the way one of my familiars likes it. Though, I can see that she has more of a sweet tooth than you do. I'll remember that for next time."

Giving Levi a blank stare, Erwin sighed. "Can we stick to normal conversation, please? And I'd appreciate it if you answered the question." He had taken a moment to glance at Levi and the way he held his tea cup seems rather strange to him. He didn't comment though. "Okay, we'll play this your way, Erwin. Though, you'll have to excuse me if I do end up reading your thoughts; they're far too entertaining to pass up. Anyways, as to why I brought you here, there is but one very simple explanation. You're special." Erwin waited a few minutes for Levi to continue speaking, but nothing else came.

_That's it?_

_Seriously?_

"No, Erwin, but it is why I brought you here. Would you like me to elaborate?" _No shit, Sherlock_, was all Erwin could think as he withheld his glare. He opened his mouth to speak, but Levi held up a hand. "Let me explain, then, _John_." Knowing he shouldn't be, Erwin couldn't help but be impressed that Levi knew about Sherlock Holmes. Maybe they could discuss the books afterwards? Shaking the thought, he went back to listening to Levi. Now was no time to try being friendly with him.

"...here is because within you is a very special gift. One that I've been searching for, for far too long and I've come to lay claim to it. You see, I can turn you into a being powerful enough to do anything imaginable, and more. It's an exchange. You allow me to do this and you'll grant any and every wish I desire. Let me finish, Erwin." Levi must have known he was going to interrupt, so he leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow; waiting. "In return, I will provide you with eternal happiness."

"And the only reason you haven't already turned me into this…all-powerful being is because you need my consent, am I correct?"

He must have hit the nail on the head, because he could see the falter in Levi's expression and body language. "…yes. Unless it is consensual, I cannot go through with the ritual."

"Then I refuse."

"You have no right to refuse, Erwin." Levi's expression and tone indicated that he had something planned, just in case this happened. Erwin didn't like being treated as a pawn, nor would he tolerate it. "I still refuse, Levi. You cannot force me to forge this pact or whatever with you if I'm unwilling." Levi's rather blank stare quickly turned into one of wickedness; the corners of his mouth turned upward into a smirk. It was moments later that Erwin felt it; like a stab to his brain, the pain was rather unbearable. Clutching at his head, he groaned in pain before shooting Levi a heated glare. It was met by a small bout of laughter from Levi. "This pain is only child's play compared to what you're going to go through. Be prepared." The pain drilling in his skull progressively got worse, until he finally passed out.

Mike and Hanji left the advisors room rather quickly. They could have left sooner, had Hanji not decided to threaten the poor man for letting Erwin run off on his own. He had finally decided to drag her out of the room, afraid she would start getting physical with him; he didn't need her dissecting him when they're this far away from home. Tugging on her arm until they were outside the building, he turned to her. "Hanji, you can't just threaten people. For all we know, he'll call the police now that we're not it there."

Hanji simply waved her hand at Mike and began walking down the street. "Trust me, Mike, he won't. He'll be far too afraid for his life. Anyways, he said to take a right when we left, right?" In all honesty, Mike couldn't remember. He'd been far too busy trying to stop her that he hadn't really paid much attention to the words coming from the man's mouth. "It doesn't matter, really. We just have to search for the 'creepy ass abandoned mansion', right? I'm sure you'll be able to find it, Mike. I wish he would've given more detail though." Really, Hanji had far too much faith in him. He would try, though. "Let's just go. I'm ready to see Erwin."

"Why, so you can get into his pants?"

"Would you shut up about that?"

Laughing hysterically, Hanji dragged Mike down the street – in the opposite direct that they _should_ have gone – to find Erwin. Thirty minutes of walking that way and Hanji decided they should turn around. They'd only seen fancy, new houses, so they must've gone the wrong way. Especially since Joseph had said it was no more than ten minutes away.

Sure enough, after they'd passed the college dorm again, Hanji and Erwin found the mansion that had been described to them. They stood in front of it a moment, contemplating their next move. Thankfully, a resident of one of the nearby houses stopped and asked if they were okay. Mike spoke to the woman, – Hanji didn't know French and the woman didn't know enough English – asking about the mansion's history and if anything weird had been happening lately. They spent an hour listening to the local lore of the place, how everyone knew it was haunted. It seemed rather ridiculous at first; whoever went in never came out. Though, when she mentioned the 'handsome blonde with piercing blue eyes that had gone in looking for some friends,' they felt knots in their stomachs. Apparently, she'd been sitting on her porch when it happened; three students from the nearby college went in and then a boy fitting Erwin's description went in as well. She went on to say that none of them had left the house yet, that she knew of.

Sure, she may just be making things up or she may have missed them when they left, but it still didn't sit well with the two of them. Thanking her, they both decided it was now or never; whatever had happened to Erwin, they were about to find out. Once she was out of sight, and nobody else was around to see, they pushed the front gate open and headed through the front yard to the door. They didn't bother knocking or checking anything. They simply forced their way into the house, almost gagging at the smell. Something – or someone – had died in here; that was for sure.

Looking at each other once more, they decided to take a stealthy approach. They didn't know who or what lived here nor did they know if Erwin was here, so it was best to keep their presence unknown for the time being.

Erwin woke up an hour after he'd blacked out, head still throbbing a bit. Though, he rather feared his current predicament. He could feel his arms pulled up over his head, his wrists bound together tightly. Opening his eyes did him no good, since there was a blindfold over them, preventing any light from reaching his eyes. His mouth hadn't been gagged, thankfully, though feeling the cold breeze wash over his body forced him to accept the fact that he was, in fact, naked. He'd been hoping it was just his mind playing tricks on him.

With most of his senses impaired, his sense of sound had intensified. He could hear the clicking of heels against the hardwood floor in the hallway and right outside the room. The soft click of the lock being undone and the creak of the door as it was pushed open. He felt dreadful; being in this state, knowing someone was staring at him from the door was unsettling. His heart thumped loudly in his ear.

"Now, now, Erwin, don't go getting all excited. I haven't done anything yet." Levi's voice came from the door and Erwin tried calming down. He didn't want to give Levi what he wanted. As Levi walked farther into the room – he'd shut the door behind him – Erwin could hear the sound of something in Levi's hand. He couldn't tell what, though.

When he tried moving his legs to cover himself, he found they were bound to the bed posts at the end of the bed. He didn't like this. "I know many ways to get you to agree to the ritual, Erwin, and I will try every single one until you crack." He jolted a bit when he felt what was in Levi's hand touch his inner thigh. Riding crop. Erwin didn't even need to imagine what was going to be done; he wasn't innocent enough to not know the purpose of it.

"It's good that you know what's going to happen. Trust me, you're going to be begging by the time I'm done with you."

Erwin readied himself for the first blow that never came. He'd heard the front door to the mansion open right before he'd been hit, signaling someone was here. Hearing the quiet cursing fall from Levi's lips, he couldn't help himself. "What's going on?"

"It seems your friends have come to play, Erwin."

Before he could even process the words, Erwin felt the gag being shoved into his mouth before the ends of it were tied behind his head. "Wouldn't want you giving away your position. Though, I'm sure you wouldn't want your beloved Hanji or Mike to see you like this. You wait here obediently. _I'll be right back."_

Erwin jerked against the restraints as he heard Levi leave the room, the soft click of the lock indicating he was trapped; not that he could really go anywhere. His mind was filled with questions. Why were they in France? Or here, to be more precise. He suddenly felt sick. He wanted to scream and tell them to run away, but he was too restricted. If Levi hurt them, there was no way in _hell_ he'd help him.

Mike and Hanji had scouted out the entire ground floor of the building. They'd turned up with nothing on each side, though Hanji had made note of the kitchen; two teacups sat at the small table. With tea inside them. Someone was here, but where, she didn't know. Mike hadn't found anything of notable worth, so they regrouped and decided to head upstairs.

Halfway up the grand staircase, they heard a noise behind them and turned around. There, they saw a strange man. Not only was he short and far too pale to be healthy, but he was wearing all leather and even held a riding crop in hand. They both got extremely defensive; they hadn't seen him downstairs, and they'd searched everywhere. Something was definitely wrong.

"How about we play a little game?"


End file.
